In The Wind Rises, Jiro (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni (voiced by Stanley Tucci). Nearsighted and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the world's most innovative and accomplished airplane designers.

The film chronicles much of his life, depicting key historical events, including the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan's plunge into war. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko (voiced by Emily Blunt), and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo (voiced by John Krasinski).

Writer and director Hayao Miyazaki pays tribute to engineer Jiro Horikoshi and author Tatsuo Hori in this epic tale of love, perseverance, and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world. From Studio Ghibli, The Wind Rises is slated for limited release in North American thetaers February 21, 2014, and expanded release on February 28, 2014, under the Touchstone Pictures banner (movieweb.com)